At least six people were killed and several others injured after an off-duty member of the Chilean Navy allegedly lost control of a vehicle and plowed into a crowded open-air market.
The deadly crash happened in Viña del Mar, where security footage obtained by Reuters appeared to show a white vehicle speeding down the road before veering out of control and slamming into vendor tents.
As police rushed the driver toward a nearby patrol car, groups of furious bystanders could be seen attempting to chase after him.
“The accident resulted in the deaths of several people and left others with injuries of varying severity,” the Chilean Navy said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.
The navy confirmed that the driver was an off-duty service member and said it was cooperating with authorities as investigators work to determine exactly what caused the crash.
Local news outlets Tiempo21 and 24 Horas reported that six people died.
The victims reportedly included 66-year-old Sonia Oyarzún Rojas and 58-year-old O’Higgins Rubén Olmedo Uribe, two merchants who had been selling cleaning supplies at the market.
Javier Sepúlveda Herrera, a father of two who was selling toiletries, was also killed.
Club Deportivo Villa Madrid player John Millacura died alongside his two daughters, Belén Millacura and Nicole Millacura Villegas, according to 24 Horas.
Officials at Gustavo Fricke Hospital said five injured people, including two babies, were admitted with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Other victims received medical treatment at the scene.
“At this stage of the evaluation, they are stable and out of life-threatening danger,” hospital deputy director Denise Cataldo said. “But of course they are still awaiting the completion of all the examinations required in these cases.”
Viña del Mar police prefect Col. Jorge Guaita said the driver claimed he could not remember what happened before the crash.
Witnesses told investigators that the vehicle had been traveling in the correct direction but at a high rate of speed before jumping the sidewalk and spinning around.
“Fortunately, the bus stop brought it to a halt,” Guaita said. “Otherwise, it might have continued forward and caused even more damage.”
Interior Undersecretary Máximo Pavez later confirmed that the off-duty navy member tested negative for alcohol during a breathalyzer test.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast addressed the tragedy in a statement posted on social media.
“The tragedy that occurred in Viña del Mar plunges the entire country into mourning,” Kast wrote. “I express my condolences to the families of the victims and my support to those who were injured.”
He added that government institutions were working to help those affected and determine who was responsible for the devastating crash.
The investigation remains ongoing.